Safeguarding

Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It's fundamental to high-quality health and social care.

What safeguarding means for people who use care services

Safeguarding children and promoting their welfare includes:

Protecting them from maltreatment or things that are bad for their health or development.

Making sure they grow up in circumstances that allow safe and effective care.

Safeguarding adults includes:

Protecting their rights to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.

People and organisations working together to prevent the risk of abuse or neglect, and to stop them from happening.

Making sure people's wellbeing is promoted, taking their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs into account.

Female Gentinal Mutilation

What is FGM?FGM is a procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut, injured or changed, where there's no medical reason for this to be done. It's also known as "female circumcision" or "cutting", and by other terms such as sunna, gudniin, halalays, tahur, megrez and khitan, among others. FGM is child abuse and is an extremely harmful practice with devastating health consequences for girls and women.

What this statement is for?This statement is for you. You should take this with you when you go abroad. You can show it to your family. This makes it clear that FGM is a serious criminal offence in the UK.